Nerves Not Quite of Steel
by worrywart
Summary: Want to bring a cool, calm, heroic, sexy Slytherin spy to his knees like a wibbling firstie? Give him an engagement ring and tell him to ask his witch to marry him. Rated for a couple of naughty words.


**This was my gift for Bardsdaughter1 in the 2017 SSHG gift fest on LiveJournal. I was tickled to be able to gift this incredible author with a story.**

 **I'd like to thank Timandsophsmom, Ms. Anthrop, and my dear Velveteen Bunny for the alpha, beta, and Brit picking. Any mistakes you find are mine because I can't leave well enough alone!**

 **The prompt was: Severus is a nervous wreck as he plans his proposal to Hermione.**

* * *

Severus let out a tense breath, snapped the lid shut on a small grey box and thrust it into the hole in the bathroom wall. He quickly replaced the ceramic tile square, and with a quick wave of his wand, sealed it shut. He memorised its location—four squares down and six squares over in relation to the left side of the mirror.

Quickly leaving the bathroom, he returned to his bedroom only to find a rumpled looking Hermione sprawled on the bed, still wearing her cloak and one shoe. He knew she wasn't tired from work—the Office of Permits and Zoning was not horribly busy—but from the sheer boredom of her job.

"Hermione, love? I didn't hear you come in; are you awake?"

A muffled 'yes' and a wave of her hand made him laugh.

He sat on the bed beside his witch and rubbed her back. "Come along. We're going to be late for Potter's party if you don't get up and shower. You _know_ how much I want to go," he added sarcastically.

Hermione rolled over and sighed. "You're a git. I just hate…"

Severus had heard the same argument from her for a couple of weeks now. "I know what you're going to say, and I have some news on that account, actually. Why don't you get washed up and then I'll tell you as you dress, alright?"

"Why not tell me now?" she asked, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Because you're exhausted, and I don't want you to make any decisions until you're more yourself." He leant over and kissed her, enjoying how her body responded to him. "No more faffing about. I promise it's good news."

She made a face and he chuckled, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Give me a half hour, and I'll be ready," she murmured.

He kissed her again, then stood up and offered his hand to help her off the bed. As soon as she had gathered her dressing gown and left the room, he strode over to the window seat and sat down. He snorted as he thought about his sarcastic remark to Hermione; for once, he actually did want to go to the Potter's as he wanted to speak to Harry about the matter at the forefront of his mind. He swallowed his rising anxiety. How on earth would he ask Hermione to marry him? Shelving the nerve-wracking thought for a moment, he picked up a book, intending to read a bit, but he was distracted by the squeak of the shower being switched on which naturally led him to think of ring hidden behind the tiled wall in the bathroom.

He was confident she would say yes, confident that she loved him just as he was confident in his love for her. He had no qualms about the depth of that love either. The actual proposal, however, was giving him fits. It had to be perfect. Severus wanted to forever remember the look on her face, the sound of her voice, and the joy he would feel when she said the unhappy memories that continued to plague him occasionally would fade into obscurity in that moment of time.

He smirked and chuckled to himself. Here he was dithering on about a proposal—just a single question—as though he was a third year asking the prettiest girl in the class to Hogsmeade for the first time. Admittedly, this was a life altering question, but his life had been utterly altered (in the very best of ways, he had to admit) the moment he walked into that bloody permit office three years ago…

###

Severus strode into the Office of Magical Permits and Zoning. He had quite a time finding it in the first place, having had to first go down to level eight, traverse several dark corridors, and then back up to level two via an unused lift which had probably been a service lift thirty or more years ago. Because of this, he became even more incensed than he had been when he received the howler twenty minutes ago. The effrontery of having to get permission, of all things, to simply add a cold storage room to his apothecary, infuriated him. He intended to speak to this 'H.J.G.', whoever he was, and put things—and him—in their place.

Putting on his best 'you're a student, and I've caught you now' face (not to be confused with his 'you're a student, and I'm about to give you detention' face, which were the same except the right eyebrow was raised instead of the left), he stormed into the office and began to bellow immediately, hoping to intimidate H.J.G into giving him what he wanted.

"Just what in Merlin's name is all this shite about an inspection and documentation? Circe's tit; since when does the Mini—" Further speech was cut off when a familiar bushy head popped around the frame of an inner office door asking, "How may I help you?"

"Miss Granger!" Severus roared. "Fetch your supervisor out here this instant…get this H.J.G., and tell him I want to know what the hell is going on with this…this nonsense. Since when does the Ministry issue permits for magical modifications of buildings?"

Hermione smiled sweetly, entering the room fully. Smoothing down the front of her robe, she picked up a clipboard from a nearby counter.

"Hello, Professor Snape! As a matter of fact, _I_ am H.J.G., Hermione Jean Granger, in case you didn't remember, and I am in charge of this office. The Ministry began issuing permits six months ago when they realised the windfall that could be made from the fees to file for said permits and also cut down on the risk of Muggles finding out the magical world should any spells decay."

She looked confident, but Severus could hear the slight tremor of schoolgirl fear in her voice. _This could be fun,_ he thought. He had read in the Prophet—well, not actually read it per se, just skimmed it while in the loo—about the ruckus Granger had caused in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and how she had been rather forcefully removed as a result. Skeeter had had a field day with the article.

"So, what you're really saying," he began, his tone deceptively gleeful in anticipation of watching her bravado deflate quicker than the air from a dirigible plum, "is that you got sacked from your former department, and they created one that would make them some money and keep you out of their hair."

Hermione laughed, and Severus was at first perplexed and then enchanted. Her obvious fear left her and her expression changed; the confidence made her look womanly. Her answer surprised him.

"That's about right, more or less, to be honest. This position is as dull as watching a demonstration of every Quidditch foul known to Wizardom, but for now, it's a welcome change. No bureaucratic laws inhibiting me from performing my job with utmost efficiency, no Kingsley breathing down my neck, no whinging owners after me about how their Class X prohibited pet is just a baby at heart. It's lovely, actually."

 _I'd like to breathe down her neck_ , Severus thought idly before shaking his head to clear the image that inexplicably sprang into his mind. Impressed with her demeanour, he said, "Well, here's a little stress for you." He poured the remains of his howler from a pouch onto the counter and returned the bag to his pocket. "I would hate to have you thinking your days are all sunshine and love potions, but what's this mess all about?"

Hermione poked at the ash with her finger. "Well, I'm fairly certain your reading comprehension is adequate, Mr. Snape, so it's as I had written. I got wind that you were considering expansion and sent you a message three weeks ago with a date and time for my inspection. When I received no confirmation of my inspection, yet learned the expansion had been completed, I sent the Howler, audibly modified so you wouldn't recognize my voice. I do it with all my howlers," she finished smugly. "Apparently, older wizards think that since I'm a woman, they can just 'smooth things over' as one wizard put it."

Severus had to admire her spot of deviousness. He certainly didn't guess it was her. "Out of curiosity, what did you do the wizard who wanted to 'smooth things over'?"

Hermione giggled. "Well, I'm sure he's seen a Healer about the erectile dysfunction by now. Oh, and the chancres!" She attempted an air of nonchalance, but failed miserably into another round of giggles.

Severus nearly smiled, but controlled himself quickly and asked, "How did you know that I was planning, let alone had completed the storage room?" he asked.

"Luna Potter told me," she answered and then smirked. "Confidentially of course, but then you know me and rules." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"Luna?" he asked, wondering when he last saw Mrs. Potter. Yes, it had been about a month or so ago in the shop. He had been holding Adamazine (silly name for a baby, he thought; might as well give her a cat and be done with it) as Luna shopped, and he remembered he had been whispering his plans to the infant while he bounced her in his arms. The horribly named creature tended to caterwaul unless kept in constant motion; how her mother managed, he'd never know. Luna had given the appearance of being incredibly attentive to picking out Wacholderbeeren, but even Severus had to admit how creepy it could be when she would blurt out answers to what you were thinking, and she was not a Legilimens (he'd peeked). He could only assume she must have overheard him, it was just the three of them in the shop at that time, and she was the only other of them was capable of comprehension at more than an infantile level.

"She mentioned it to me one evening when I was babysitting. Naturally, I followed up," Hermione added.

"You followed up," Severus began, hoping to pounce upon whatever morsel of information she'd reveal in order to regain his stance. This whole visit was definitely _not_ going his way. Quite the opposite in fact, and he was off kilter as a result.

"Of course. It's my job. You'd be surprised by the number of illegal building projects there are, and by how many whose spells have decayed over time. We've had to Obliviate quite a few Muggles who've come home from work and found such things like enclosed swimming pools, three-storey chicken coops, tennis courts, a Quidditch pitch, and a cage holding six tigers on properties where there isn't even room to swing a Kneazle! By issuing permits, we can inspect these additions and ensure the magic is still holding. We did have to send the tigers back where they came from, though."

Severus was bemused when Hermione went off on a tangent. "Did you know that the two men who had the tigers have an entertainment show in America? They are in England because one of them got mauled by one of the tigers. I could have told them you don't enslave gorgeous creatures like that and not wind up regretting it later."

With relief, Severus watched as she seemed to veer back to the current topic.

"Anyway, not all witches and wizards are as powerful as you; I can't imagine your spells ever decaying, but there you are, a permit is required and a permit you must get."

"Do you ever breathe, Granger?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

She inhaled and then laughed. "Hermione. Please, call me Hermione."

"Hermione, then. What do you intend to do about this?" Severus pointed to the small pile of ash on the counter.

"Protocol demands that you are fined." She looked him pointedly in the eyes and then winked. "However, if you should happen to know where I can get a good cuppa, I might be persuaded to pretend you magicked the expansion before I took office."

Severus was momentarily gobsmacked. _The know-it-all was willing to bend the rules?_

"I know what you're thinking," she said, breaking into his thoughts. "But you and I both know this is a ruse to keep me out of the Ministry's way, so as long as I don't bother them, they won't bother me. Now, how about that tea?"

"You could have been a Slytherin, with your deviousness, Miss Granger. However, being the quintessential Slytherin that _I_ am, I would be a fool not to let the situation fade into the oblivion for the price of a cup of tea. Shall I meet you after working hours?"

"Working hours ended just now, as a matter of fact." Hermione said slyly.

Severus slipped his watch from his waistcoat and opened it. "It's only ten in the morning."

"Pfft," she started with a wave of her hand. "I have yet to see a single official from the Ministry, ever. I took off four whole days last month; no one questioned my absence at all!"

"Shall we go then?" Severus asked, gesturing toward the door.

"We shall!"

###

Severus left the window seat, making his way to the kitchen. Along the way, he picked up Hermione's satchel and placed it on the hall table, and then her shoe—how the woman always lost only one shoe, he'd had yet to fathom—and finally her hat. He brought it to his nose and inhaled the citrus scent. The scent reminded him of the early days of their burgeoning relationship and made him smile as he recalled them…

###

Severus had been amazed at the friendship that had sprung up between himself and Hermione. That first outing for tea had lead to him showing her his apothecary and then several hours of conversation as he told her how it came to be and what he was currently working on. That led to a discussion for improvement of a brew she had been fiddling with for several months, and they were suddenly firm friends.

Along the way, he learned more about her struggle as a Muggleborn witch in the Wizarding world. His own struggle was far briefer, to be honest; once he entered Hogwarts, he shed his Mancunian ways in order to be perceived as Pureblood. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had been instrumental along those lines, helping him find his way among the Slytherins and in the wider Wizarding society.

Hermione had told him the story of her parents and she had, in fact, spent two years in Australia, reversing the spell on her parents, dealing with the aftermath, and helping them rebuild their lives. They were quite happy in their new home and country, and did not wish to return to England for the immediate future.

Severus also learned that her relationship with Ronald did not last more than a year. As he could have told her from the start, they were too different and that would have caused problems as they got older and further into their careers. Hermione had told him that Ron vehemently opposed her going back to Hogwarts and when he finally relented, he had constantly badgered her with owls wanting to know who she was with, what she had been doing, etc.

The breaking point of their relationship came when she had planned to go to Australia to retrieve her parents. Ron felt she should just leave well enough alone, but then the he was still living at home with parents who remembered they had a son and catered to his every whim and need. In a last ditch effort to salvage her shaky relationship, she had gone to the Burrow during the Christmas holiday only to feel suffocated by his jealousy and by his whinging to push their relationship further than she was comfortable.

Severus had not been all that keen on hearing 'those' aspects of her life, but had been oddly glad that she might still be untouched by the likes of Weasley (Severus still possessed the preciously given phial of her maiden's blood and was self-satisfied enough to know it was not that bumbling oaf to whom it had been bestowed).

Talk of Ron lead naturally into talk of Harry. She told him about how the split between Harry and Ginny had truly happened and that it was amicable. He had known of the split and the outrageous reasons from his 'in loo' readings of the Prophet, but was interested in Hermione's explanation of the real reason for the split in the relationship.

As their friendship grew, Severus found it easier to share bits of his own life since the war. He shared with her stories about his small circle of friend which included the Malfoy's, who were rebuilding their social status, as well as stories of the professors at her alma mater, whom he told her he met on occasion for tea.

Until the day he found Hermione in her office, his own dating life had consisted of the odd party during which Narcissa Malfoy had attempted to introduce him to yet another 'cousin' of hers; frankly he had no idea the Black family tree stretched that far (and honestly it should be more of a stump rather than a tree with all the intermarrying that had gone on). After the fourth such attempt, Severus begged Narcissa to leave him be. Yes, he wanted to find someone to settle down with, but he was in no hurry.

Setting Hermione's hat alongside her satchel, Severus smirked as he remembered the night he had realised he had found his 'someone'. His smirk turned into a full blown smile as he also remembered it was the night of their first kiss and a rather surprising declaration...

###

Minerva had invited the pair to the Halloween ball at Hogwarts. They had not been invited as a couple, but rather separately as they discovered when they were attempting to figure out where Hermione's fiddly potion kept going wrong. They had been talking about this and that when Hermione mentioned the ball. Severus confirmed he, too, had received an invitation.

It was Hermione who had suggested they go as a couple. She was certain that Ron would be there and said that if Severus and she went as a couple, he would not parade his latest bimbo in front of her. Severus agreed to go simply because to go alone meant that he would be bothered by Minerva and her cohorts; the idea of Minerva, Poppy, Rolanda, and Flitwick, en masse, barraging him with questions about why he hadn't settled down, why he didn't visit the castle more often, and so on was off putting to say the least. Not to mention Rolanda, when drunk, tended to have wandering hands.

Much to the couples' delight, things went swimmingly at the ball. The pair spent quite a bit of time at a table chatting and ripping apart the characters of various attendees (look at the girl Seamus is dancing with, her breasts are very nearly falling out of her gown; I see Dean is drunk again, he's sharing a bottle with Hooch, the lush—Ooh! Look at where her hands are!; Look! Filius is dancing with Madam Pince; oh dear, a fight is breaking out between that Slytherin fifth year and the bloke from Gryffindor).

It was Severus who had spotted Ronald, dancing with a rather large blonde. When he pointed him out to Hermione, she wondered if men really liked breasts that large and wouldn't she smother him depending on the sexual position? This caused Severus to cough his drink down his front, but he did managed to mention that he thought that a handful was more than plenty, as he Evanesco'd the mess away.

When Severus leant over to whisper another cutting remark into her ear, he caught a whiff of perfume coming from her neck. It was a light…gardenia and ginger. In that moment, with that scent forever buried in his brain, he knew he was in love. In fact, his tongue apparently decided to overrule his brain (for years, his brain was king of whether or not to speak. If it hadn't been, he'd have been dead before the end of his first mission as spy for the Order. Today, his tongue must have staged a revolt and took over from his brain) and he actually blurted out to her that he loved her and that led to their first kiss and the rest of their lives.

Now, if only he could find a way to ask her to marry him!

###

Severus and Hermione Apparated to the doorstep of 12 Grimmauld Place. After ensuring their clothes were tidy and a rather lengthy kiss (Severus never told Hermione, but he always rather hoped either Potter or Weasley would open the door while they were snogging; he did so enjoy winding them up whenever he had the chance), Hermione swung the door open and stepped inside.

"Harry!" she called. "We're here!"

Music blared and voices laughed from the direction of the sitting room as someone had opened the door to come and greet the couple.

"Hermione? Is that you?" Harry called over the din as he hurried down the hall.

"Yes! Severus, too!"

Finding the couple at the door removing their cloaks, he rushed to sweep Hermione into a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it, both of you. C'mon, the party's in full swing." He pulled away from Hermione and then extended his hand to Severus. "You, too, Snape. Glad you could make it."

"Thank you, Potter." Severus said, as he hung his cloak on the peg by the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Harry help Hermione with her own cloak as they chatted animatedly. He thought about how his own relationship with Potter had changed in the years since the war. Not quite bosom friends, but he could at least be in the same room with the man without wanting to hex his glasses so that they were perpetually crooked. Severus knew Harry would be the right person to ask for a bit of advice regarding Hermione, even if it annoyed him to have to ask in the first place.

As the trio walked back to the sitting room, Severus lagged behind so that Hermione would go ahead of him. He grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him back. "I need to speak you with later," he whispered quickly to Harry.

"Is everything all right?" Harry asked, his voice slighted alarmed.

"Yes."

Greetings were shouted when the three walked back into the room. Ginny, Luna, and Padma rushed over to welcome Hermione. Ginny seemed to be the first to notice how ecstatic Hermione looked.

"What have you been up to Hermione? You look rather excited," she asked.

"I had the best news when I got home from work today. Severus told me that Madam Pince wishes to retire, and that Minerva has offered me the post as librarian!"

"She about deafened me with her reaction," added Severus, theatrically rubbing his ear.

Those around the couple had heard the news and sent up a cheer of congratulations. The women peppered Hermione with questions, and Severus' head began to spin with the rapidity at which they were asked and Hermione's ability to keep up with them, offering a seamless flow of conversation.

"What?"

"I'm going to be Hogwarts librarian!"

"When will you start?"

"Where's the baby?"

"This coming term."

"Where will you live?"

"Daddy's taking care of her."

"At the castle of course."

"Will Snape live there, too?"

"He's going to take her to pick fluff clovers."

"We haven't talked about that yet."

"You'll need new robes!"

"What are fluff clovers?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes, Padma, I'll be sure to visit your shop for my new robes."

As the girls continued their questions, Severus caught Harry's attention and tilted his head in the direction of the door. Harry nodded in return and made his way to it, Severus following.

"Let's go to the kitchen. Will that be all right?"

"That will be fine," Severus said.

"I'll have Kreacher bring us a few vol au vents and drinks."

The men made their way to the kitchen, and Harry gave Kreacher his request. In a moment, they were seated at the table with a plate steaming appetizers along with two pints of ale.

"What did you want to speak to me about, Severus?" asked Harry.

Severus swallowed his sip of ale. "Erm, I, ah…"

"You seem rather nervous," Harry said with a smile. He had a slight suspicion he knew what Severus was going to ask. He and Hermione had been dating well over three years, and she had moved in with him a year ago.

"It is not easy to speak to you, of all people, about my feelings," Severus said tentatively.

Harry immediately understood. "I think I may know what you're going to ask me. Shall I take a guess?"

Severus quickly nodded, relieved that Harry caught onto the train of his thought without having to do a lot of explaining.

"Are you finally going to ask Hermione to marry you?"

"Yes, I am," Severus answered, the tension flowing off of him like water. Now that his desire was out in the open, it seemed a bit easier to talk to the black haired former bane of his existence. "I've already purchased the ring."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't know how to ask her."

Harry put his hand to his heart and mockingly said, "Hermione, I love you more than my potions. Will you marry me?" he ended with a laugh.

Severus stood angrily. "I do not appreciate being mocked. I asked you in here for some advice."

Harry stood and grabbed Severus' arm. "Sit down, Severus. I was only joking. I didn't mean to make light of your problem. C'mon, sit down, please?" he pleaded.

Severus relented and sat.

"I'm sorry," said Harry, taking a sip of ale and grabbing a vol au vent. "Now, what is it about asking her that is the problem?"

"Believe it or not, Potter, I am capable of emotions and desires."

Harry nodded and said quietly, "Yes, I know that, however much you show the world otherwise."

"I want the way I propose to be very special. I want it to be perfect for her, to be a memory she'll cherish always." Looking down at the table and randomly tracing a scratch in the surface he added, even more softly, "I also want it to be the very happiest memory I have."

Harry knew the absolute significance of what Severus was asking. For many years, Lily was the happiest memory his former professor had had of his dismal childhood. This was a huge moment for the man who had planned to go to his grave loving only Lily Potter. Harry also knew it was a significant moment for him and Severus.

"You love Hermione very much, yes?"

"Of course!" Severus snorted at the obviously ridiculous question.

"Do you love her more than my mother? I mean, for years, my mum was your happiest memory. In a way, I almost feel jealous you could love Hermione more than her, because you loved my mum for so long. I mean, even for a man, it's sort of romantic to know another man could love that deeply, even if it is over his mother." Harry shook his head. "I'm not putting this right."

"I think I see what you mean, Potter," Severus said thoughtfully. "Your mother was everything I needed when I was younger. But, I was forced to admit that she only loved me as a friend, however much I wished otherwise. She was the one who kept me centred for so long…until that day when I was so angry and so embarrassed that I called her…that word.

"Hermione turned out to be the unexpected joy I thought I didn't deserve. You know how she can be…just moves right in, pushes you to do what she wants and nags until she gets it. However, I find that I want the things that she wants, but by the same token, she wants what I want. I want her to push me outside of myself to discover more than what I am." He hung his head a bit before finishing. "She forgives me when I have blundered about and said the wrong things."

Harry was silent for a moment as he thought about what Severus had said. He was no longer naïve enough to think his parents were saints; he knew what they had done, right and wrong. They were wonderful people, and he wanted to hope that he made them proud. He knew now what teenagers could do when they were angry and the hurt and pain that a withheld forgiveness could cost.

"I admit Hermione _is_ everything my mother wasn't. She is a loving and forgiving person, for all she nags." He laughed and Severus laughed too. "However," Harry continued, "that doesn't answer your question, does it?"

"No," Severus admitted, "but I think it helped us."

Harry nodded and sat back, the gesture changing the tone of the present atmosphere. "Hermione doesn't go for overly grand gestures. She likes surprises, but not the sort that would embarrass her. I think she'd like something like a picnic or an art show; something where you spend time together and then at the end of it, just ask her."

"That seems rather mundane," Severus drawled.

"Have you met the woman? She is not truly mundane, but you don't see her climbing rock formations or doing death defying stunts."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "So that dragon ride was just a mundane event?"

Harry burst out laughing. "You know what I mean!"

"That I do, Potter," Severus agreed, relieved that the conversation was at and end. "You've given me some things to think about. Thank you. Perhaps we'd better head back to the party before they think we've done a bunk."

The pair stood and shook hands. "You're welcome, Severus. Let me know if you need any more advice. I'd better get an invitation to the wedding!"

"It wouldn't surprise me at all if you were her man of honour," he snarked.

"I'd look good in a dress, don't you think?" Harry asked with a flounce, which earned him a smack upside the head.

###

Several days later, Severus Apparated to Devonshire and then walked the mile or so from the Apparition point to Malfoy Manor. The walk gave him time to marshal his thoughts and to calm his nerves. _These are old friends,_ he admonished himself, _they'll listen and then guide you to a conclusion that you've thought of already, but make you feel it was theirs and therefore, be in their debt…true to form of all Slytherins._ Severus chuckled at his thoughts. "You're a fool, Severus Snape," he said out loud to the wind, "a lovesick fool. You wouldn't want it any other way, either. You've gone soft in your old age."

The sun glared in his eyes and nearly obscured his view of Malfoy Manor as he walked up the gravel drive. To a Muggle, it was an old, abandoned shell of bricks, but to a magical person, it was nearly as grand as Balmoral. Very quickly, he was granted entry by a house elf and lead to the family sitting room.

"Severus, old man, what brings you here? Did Narcissa send an invitation I am not aware of?" Lucius glanced at his wife, who sat beside him on the sofa, looking as confused as he was.

Severus stepped over the threshold of the room. "No, no invitation. I do apologise if I am interrupting something?"

Narcissa answered, "Of course not, Severus, please come and sit. Would you like some tea?"

Severus nodded and then took his seat.

"What brings you around, then?" asked Lucius.

"I need some information…some-" Before he could finish, Draco entered the sitting room, robes sweeping out behind him.

"Hello, Mother, Father. Astoria's just got Scorpius down for his nap, and she's decided to have one too. The little brat is fighting his afternoon rest these days. I'm on my way to Twillfig and Tattings for a robe fitting in a bit."

As Draco relayed his greetings and business, he moved quickly to kiss his mother. He went around the back of the sofa and pressed his hand to his father's shoulder. "And Uncle Severus; it's good to see you. What brings you here?" Draco shook his godfather's hand and then flopped onto a nearby chair, causing his mother to hiss at his lack of manners.

Severus smirked as the young man dropped into his chair. Marriage had been good for Draco, he mused. Astoria Greengrass, although from a prominent pureblood family, seemed not to affect the stuffier pureblood mannerisms of her elders and contemporaries, and it appeared as though her less rigid attitude toward life was tempering Draco in a good way…no pureblood would ever 'flop' onto anything, Severus noted.

The nudge of a teacup at his elbow forced him back to his present situation. He took the steaming cup from the house elf and with a brief nod of acceptance, noticed the family looking pensively at him.

Severus fidgeted under the gaze of the stunning trio. Although their marriages, even Draco's, were loosely arranged by family, they were all in love with their spouses. That love stood the test of their misguided allegiance to the Dark Lord.

After the war, having paid their dues literally and figuratively, the friendship between Severus and the Malfoys flourished more firmly than before. However, it was still several months after he had begun dating Hermione, before Severus brought them together.

The reason for the delay was two-fold. Severus knew that Hermione needed time to heal from the trauma she had suffered at Malfoy Manor and that the Malfoy's needed time to adjust to their new place in a post war society. That first meeting was fraught with tension, but it was Narcissa's kind offer to help Hermione refurbish her parents' home before they returned from Australia for a holiday, that transformed their friendship.

Severus cleared his throat. "I wish to ask Hermione to marry me." Again, that damn tongue of his blurting things out without permission from his brain! Oh, how he wished he rip it from his mouth sometimes. What was it about that bushy headed know-it-all that caused him to lose every shred of Slytherin-ness he was known for?

The Malfoys rose as one to embrace (Narcissa), slap on the back (Lucius), and shake his hand (Draco), offering their deepest congratulations. Once they were all settled back in their seats and sharing a bottle of champagne brought on Lucius' orders to his house elf, Narcissa began a barrage of questions, the bubbly drink seeming to have affected her rather quickly.

"Have you set a date? Will you use traditional vows or Muggle? What colours has she chosen? Do you think Hermione would like me to help?"

Lucius and Draco laughed, and Severus had to rudely cut across her barrage of questions. "Narcissa!" he bellowed. "I haven't even asked her yet!"

Blushing prettily, she laughed quietly. "Oh, of course. I'm so sorry; I got carried away. I always get carried away at the thought of a wedding."

Lucius snorted. "You've wormed your way into no less than eighteen of your friends' wedding plans that way, my dear." He lifted Narcissa's hand and grazed his lips across her knuckles to soften the rebuke. Turning to Severus, he said, "You said you needed some advice, Sev. What sort of advice?"

"How?" Severus answered.

"How…what?" replied Lucius, slightly confused.

"How to ask her to marry me."

Draco answered first. "Well, Granger has always been straight forward. She never hesitated to put me in my place, that's for sure." He rubbed his nose ruefully. "Just simply ask her."

Narcissa reminisced about Lucius' proposal. "Lucius was very proper in his proposal. He even asked my father's permission! It was in the spring, right before my graduation; we were walking in the gardens here at the manor and came upon the peacocks. They were quite tame and enjoyed being fed. We had brought a bag of seeds with us and were tossing them to the birds. One of the peahens came quite close, and I noticed a ribbon around its neck. Lucius told me to retrieve it and when I had done so, the ring was tied to it."

While Severus could picture Narcissa being enchanted by such a proposal, he was, quite frankly, surprised that Lucius could be so sickeningly romantic. But they brought up a point he hadn't thought of…asking her parents.

"Her parents are still in Australia. I suppose I could portkey to them…"

"Nah," said Draco languidly, his lack of proper speech another hint at Astoria's influence. "She's a self-reliant woman; she'll not need her parents' permission."

"I agree," replied Lucius. "However, if you'd like something spectacular, I am sure we can arrange a ball at which you can propose to her."

"Oh, yes," Narcissa began excitedly, "that's a lovely idea. When do you plan to ask her? We can tailor the sort of ball to the season."

Severus could see her mind already running away with plans for the occasion, just as she did when he first told them he was going to propose.

"I appreciate all of your ideas, but they are a bit too much. Draco has the right of it; she's straight forward and would not want a great fuss."

"But," Narcissa interjected, "surely she'll want something memorable?"

"Yes," answered Severus. "And so would I."

###

A knock on her office door distracted Minerva from the parchment in front of her. The Ministry wanted yet another educational reform; however this one, surprisingly, was indeed a welcome change.

"Come in!" she called, setting the parchment aside and looking up. Her face broke into a wide smile when she saw Severus come over the threshold.

"Severus!" she exclaimed, rising from her chair and hurrying over, arms akimbo to hug her former colleague. "It's so wonderful to see you! Come in, come in!" She removed herself from the very quick hug she gave the man, knowing that's all he'd allow. "What brings you here today? Shall I call for tea? Or maybe drinks; it's well after noon."

"Good heavens, woman; you'd think I was gone for years the way you've reacted!"

"It seems as though you have." She waved Severus to a chair. "You've come in person, so it must be good news. Did Hermione accept my offer?" Minerva asked, returning to her desk.

Severus settled in his chair and arranged his long legs in front of him. "My ears are still ringing from when I relayed your offer to her. I believe she is making a list of the things she'll need to do before turning in her resignation at the Ministry, including formally accepting the position."

Minerva directed a house elf, who had entered as Severus was speaking, to leave the tray on her desk. She reached for a tumbler and poured a golden liquid into one and handed it to Severus.

Severus sipped his drink, wincing as it went down. "Are you trying to fry my liver?" he asked, perching his tumbler on his knee, keeping his hand around the glass to warm it.

Minerva chuckled. "Macallan's is the best. I'm related about three generations back, and get one free bottle every year as a result. I only bring it out for special occasions; a visit from you is always such."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Minnie," Severus teased, calling his friend by the name she hated most.

Minerva spluttered, "You!" Once she was done pretending to be offended, she returned to the subject of Severus' visit. "Will it make it difficult for the two of you to live apart?"

Taking another sip for courage, he said, "Well, that's another reason I'm here, actually."

Minerva watched Severus as he fidgeted, _actually fidgeted_ in his seat. If she didn't know any better, he looked on the verge of passing out. "Severus…is everything alright? Have you and Hermione parted ways?"

"No," his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat to begin again. "No. There is something else I wanted to ask you about. It'll mean a change in our circumstances, and I wanted your…erm…advice."

Minerva, over the years of dealing with misbehaving students, had learnt that it was more telling in what was _not_ said in a conversation but rather in the body language, decided Severus was very nervous about something, and she had a tiny idea of what it might be. She decided not to let him wallow too long in his misery.

"Oh? Something tells me the advice you seek is about something, erm, pleasant?" Having the nail partially on the head, she saw Severus relax a bit.

"Very pleasant, I hope. I, erm, am going to ask Hermione to marry me."

Minerva clasped her hands and barely restrained a shout of 'it's about time' in her joy. "Oh, my dear boy. I'm so happy! I'd be happy to offer any advice I can."

"Well," he began, "I am certain she'll accept my proposal…"

"Then what's the problem?" Minerva interrupted.

"Damn and blast, Minerva! Give a man a chance to speak," he grumbled, standing from his chair and pacing in front of her desk. "I need to find a way, the perfect way, to ask her to marry me. I want to remember every moment of it as I plan on this being the only time I marry."

Minerva blew on her tea before taking a sip. Placing the cup back on its saucer, she began, "As you know, I never married, so I am not truly up to date on the going way to ask. I don't know of particular engagement traditions, but there are several old Scottish traditions such as the Luckenbooth, feet washing, the Creel walk, but that is generally given or done before the wedding, and probably not the sort of advice you're seeking."

Severus nodded.

"Why not keep it simple? Just take her with you to gather potions ingredients and drop the ring where she'll find it."

"That's what I would imagine most would suspect I'd do. I want something unique."

Crunching a biscuit from the best of Marks and Spenser's Belgian assortment, Minerva considered the man before her. _His eyes are so bright with happiness,_ she thought. _I would have given anything to have seen that look so many years ago._

"Why the urge for uniqueness? You're usually very straight forward in your day to day dealings and your business."

Severus returned to his seat, and Minerva could see that she was about to learn something about this very private man if his even more than usual pale face was any indication. This was a rare privilege indeed given the man's taciturn ways.

"As you know," he began, "I've had had little opportunity in my life to create happy memories. The memories I do have are clouded with anger, death…" he trailed off.

"Go on, lad," Minerva encouraged quietly.

"Hermione has made me happier than I deserve. I can hardly believe it when I wake in the morning, and she is next to me in my bed. That she is there willingly. That she loves _me._ I am a selfish man, Minerva. I want more. I want, I _need_ that happiness. I dream of a future where she and I are always laughing. Even if we fight, it is not to hurt each other. I dream of her gone heavy with my child. Can't you see to preface all of this I need to start as I mean to go?"

Minerva stood and went around her desk to Severus' chair. She bumped his arm off the rest with her hip and then sat upon it. Putting her arm around him, she pulled him close. "Laddie, you're putting too much into this. Hermione loves you and will accept your offer of marriage no matter how it's done. Straight forward as you've always done, Severus. You're putting too much pressure on yourself."

Severus sighed, "Perhaps you're right, Minerva."

Standing, she replied. "You know I am. Now do you feel better?"

Severus stood as well and sneered at her. "Yes, Mummy, I feel better." He received a punch on the arm for his remark.

"Get away with you now, my good man. I've a letter to write to the Ministry, and you've a woman to ask to be your bride. Make sure I get an invitation!"

###

Severus was dressed and had just finished pulling his hair back. With hands slightly shaking, he counted the tiles and then unsealed the square with his wand. He pulled out the box and opened it to ensure the ring was still safely inside. It had become his ritual every night since he'd brought the ring home from the jewellers three weeks ago. Although he had had a wizarding jeweller engrave the runes Severus had chosen specifically, he actually bought the ring from a Muggle jeweller on Oxford Street in London.

The centre stone, a beautiful round multi-faceted diamond, was set high from the band. The eighteen carat white gold band was solid at the bottom, and as it spanned upward toward the diamond, it split into two bands on either side that overlapped and became the base for which the diamond was nestled. Smaller diamond chips dotted one of the bands on either side for several millimetres.

He was so nervous about what he planned for the evening, and at times, wondered if it was too much and then, not enough. After careful consideration of the advice he had received, he decided to keep it simple; an evening out at Hermione's favourite restaurant seemed ideal if he knew his witch at all. However, to make it special, he had made reservations at a hotel that not only boasted a four star Italian menu—her favourite food—but dancing as well. The twist was that the hotel was actually in Italy. The concierge at the hotel also helped Severus make a reservation for a gondola ride in the moonlight (he had triple checked the forecast for the evening to ensure there'd be moonlight!). After a bit of time enjoying the scenes of night time Venice, he'd ask her to marry him.

He just hoped it would all come to fruition. The thought that there was the slightest possibility that she'd say no caused his hands to twitch, and he fumbled the box. Stunned and as if Petrified, Severus watched the box fell from his hands, tumbling and twisting on its short free fall into the basin, and landing upside down. When he snatched it up, he was horrified to see the ring was no longer nestled in the slot within the box.

Severus frantically looked into the sink to discover that it was not in the basin. Peering down into the drain, he couldn't see it either, nor was it on the edge of the sink. He looked at the floor to no avail. It could only be in one place. "Bloody fecking hell," he muttered.

He ran from the room, stopping in the hall where he could hear Hermione humming as she finished dressing. As quietly as possible, he ran down the stairs to the kitchen. He rummaged through a drawer and found a spanner. Running back upstairs, he returned to the bathroom and began to undo the plumbing. At one point, he feared Hermione would come into the room as he heard her walking down the hall, but the creak on the stairs let him know she was searching out her shoes. She did tend to leave them everywhere, necessitating that she wander about looking for them. _Good,_ he thought, _this will buy me some time to find the ring._

"Severus! Severus, where are you? You said to be ready at seven o'clock, and I'm ready. Love?" Hermione called up the stairs as she leant against the banister, putting her shoe on. She could hear his gorgeous deep voice murmuring and an occasional explicative. Deciding Severus was having trouble with his tie, she decided to go and help him.

Hermione climbed the stairs and approached the bathroom, the door to which was partially open. She could hear Severus, clearly upset and angry, swearing under his breath as well as some noises she couldn't quite place. Pressing her hand against the door, she pushed it open and was astonished at the sight before her.

Severus was on his back, with what looked like a plumber's spanner in one hand and the fingers of his other hand were digging around in the pipe. His dress shirt was opened at the throat and was covered in water and something greyish that Hermione didn't want to identify. His trousers, once pristinely creased, were wrinkled, wet, and covered in ginger fur, meaning that she hadn't swept the floor recently. His hair had fallen from its tie and swept through the water on the floor and into his face.

"Severus! What on earth are you doing? What is going on? Why are the sink's pipes all over the floor? And in your tuxedo!"

Severus quickly sat up and banged his head on the porcelain. Hissing in pain and anger, he replied, "I dropped something down the sink. Something I truly couldn't lose."

"But you're filthy, and you said that we were leaving at seven. It's quarter to now..."

"I know!" he snapped and went back to his work. "I need just another…Aha!"

Hermione watched as he fished something out of the 'S' bend of the pipe and stood up.

"What on earth was so important it couldn't have waited until we got back? You said the Portkey would activate at seven."

Severus looked down at the floor and at his clothes and realised what a mess he had made. Frustrated he answered, "What I needed to retrieve from the bloody pipe was a very important part of tonight."

Hermione pulled her wand out and in a trice, Severus' clothes and hair were tidied up. She also waved it over the sink, and it instantly repaired itself. "What did you need to retrieve, anyway? Was it a cufflink? I can see you have both of them," she said, pointing to his cuffs.

"It was this." He held out his hand, and in his palm laid the diamond ring he'd purchased. It gleamed in its silver setting, albeit a little mucky from the pipes. A quick flick of his wand and it was clean.

Hermione stepped forward and whispered, "Severus?"

"This is why I wanted us to be dressed up tonight and the need for a Portkey. It's to Venice. We were meant to be going to dinner and dancing and then take a gondola ride. In the moonlight, I was going to ask you to marry me. I had hidden the ring behind the wall there," he pointed to the spot in the wall where the tile was missing, "and when I removed it, I opened it to ensure the ring was still safe. I stupidly dropped it down the sink."

"It's lovely, it truly is."

"So, well, erm…" he stuttered, "will you? Marry me that is?"

Hermione looked up at him and was stunned to see a look of apprehension on his face. "Yes, Severus, I will. Happily, unreservedly and with all my love, I will marry you."

Severus slipped the ring onto her finger and the couple kissed. Once they parted, he said, "Come, I think we can still make the Portkey."

##

As the couple were eating, Severus confessed to her that he had been nervous about asking her and that he had sought out his friends, including Potter, for advice. In the end, he decided to take her to Venice and propose there.

"I can't believe you went to all that trouble for me," Hermione murmured.

"I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted it to be a memory we'd share the rest of our lives."

Hermione giggled. "It will be a memory all right." She took a drink of her wine as Severus took a bite of his meal. "But what I don't get, love, is why didn't you just Accio the ring out?"

Severus' fork clattered to his plate.

Fin.

* * *

The HP Lexicon states that according to Pottermore, Minerva did marry in 1982, lived in Hogsmeade, and kept her maiden name. In this story, I chose to have her remain single.

The information below comes from the website previously written here but deleted by Fan Fiction-check out Livejournal for the site. It may not jive completely with what you may be familiar with, but having looked over more than just one website in search for the information, it continued to be of similar explanation.

Creel: As the groom in more recent days endures jokes and pranks at his expense, so too did the Highland groom. One stag and hen parties wedding tradition was for a large basket, or creel, to be filled with stones and tied to the bridegroom's back. He had to carry it around the entire town, unless his bride agreed to kiss him (a rather nice wedding tradition). If she did, his friends allowed him to escape from the creelin'. Otherwise, he had to continue until he had completed a circuit of the town.

The Luckenbooth: Silversmiths and goldsmiths sold their wares from open market stalls along the Royal Mile, adjacent to Edinburgh Castle. In the early 1700's, these stalls were replaced with booths that could be locked at night ~ thus luckenbooth.

The jewelers created a brooch that's become a wedding tradition. They used intertwining hearts, topped with a crown that was symbolic of Mary Queen of Scots. The hearts often formed a stylized "M", as the original Luckenbooth's were styled after Mary's royal monogram.

Another wedding tradition was to engrave the inside with a pledge of love. These were treasured by the bride ~ worn at her wedding, then carefully stored away. When their first child was christened, the brooch was pinned on the christening gown. Then it was put away again, only to be brought out for the eldest child's betrothal.

Foot washing: The women of the Highlands usually went barefoot, year round. In the original wedding tradition of foot washing, the bride was gently treated to a cleansing of her feet, which probably needed it. The groom and his friends crowded around the door to watch this wedding tradition.

When the groom's turn came, his treatment wasn't so gentle. After wetting his feet, soot and feathers were smeared wherever they would stick. As a wedding tradition, the soot was a symbol of home and hearth, while feathers came from a food source.

Over time and with newer products available, this wedding tradition has changed. The soot has been replaced by boot blacking or shoe polish, engine oil, or chocolate syrup.


End file.
